Railway Hospitals To Be Equipped With Own Oxygen Plants In View Of Covid Pandemic

Delhi, May 18 – With an aim to enhance the Covid management facilities in its 86 hospitals across the country, the Indian Railways has planned own oxygen plants under its massive capacity enhancement.

As of now four oxygen plants are functional, 52 are sanctioned and 30 under various stages of processing, the officials in the Rail Ministry said. They also informed that General Managers have been delegated further powers, upto Rs 2 crores in each case for sanctioning Oxygen Generation plants by the Railway Board on May 4 this year.

A series of measures have been initiated to scale up Covid treatment facilities in all of its hospitals wherein the number of beds for Covid treatment have been increased from 2539 to 6972. The ICU Beds in Covid hospitals have been increased from 273 to 573.

Invasive ventilators have been added and their number has been increased from 62 to 296 and constant efforts are being made to add critical medical equipment like BIPAP machines, Oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders in Railway hospitals.

Railways have also issued instructions that Covid affected employees may be admitted to empanelled hospitals on referral basis as per need.

This massive capacity enhancement in Railway Hospitals would usher in better infrastructure to handle medical emergencies during this pandemic and for future exigencies.